It is berry season! I lived in Maine for three years when I was a little girl. I remember picking blueberries right off the bush and plopping them straight into my mouth. I love that sweet and tart explosion when the berries are just right.

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey was one of my all-time favorite childhood books. Not only does Sally lose her tooth but she too picked blueberries. I adored the illustrations.

Fresh berries also make me think of the beach. Stopping at the farmer’s markets in Rhode Island with my mom, where she would load up on fresh fruits and veggies. When I got to pick something out, I’d head straight for the honey sticks. Those little tubes were so delish.

These Summer Berry Muffins are Top 8 Free. No wheat, peanuts, eggs, dairy, soy, or nuts. Whenever I make a batch I keep about four on the counter and I throw the rest in the freezer for on the go breakfasts and snacks. They don’t take much effort and you probably have everything you need right in your pantry – except perhaps the fresh berries, luckily, they are everywhere right now!

Recipe Source: AllergicToEverything.life. All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.

Meet Jess

Jessica Gray Schipp is the author of #AllergicToEverything®, a one-stop cookbook of recipes and lifestyle hacks for food allergy collectors (people with multiple food allergies), anyone living with chronic autoimmune diseases, and the people who love them. Originally an East Coaster from Arlington, VA, Jess is also a teacher, writer, artist, and entrepreneur living in Oakland, CA.

There is nothing quite like homemade chicken soup. The ultimate comfort food on a cold day. It is a low maintenance luxury you can whip up in just minutes.

I grew up on my mom’s turkey soup, which I looked forward to after every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is pretty much the same recipe except using chicken, and sometimes we throw in a little rice or barley. She would never use the cilantro either but I think it adds a nice depth.

Not only did it clean out the fridge, but it makes itself 🙏🏻 here’s to health. And to homemade chicken soup.

Remember when you make homemade chicken soup you start with the stock. You can use any old produce up (hence the fridge cleaning) and you don’t need to waste time making it look pretty, just chop it into pieces that will fit into your pot and save the dicing for the actual soup veggies.

Stock Veggies

Soup Veggies

I prep my soup veggies at the beginning and throw them into the fridge while the stock cooks.

You can use whatever bones you have- or pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to make homemade chicken soup.

#AllergicToEverything® Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe

This homemade chicken soup recipe is pure comfort food. So easy to make and can even be made with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Freeze the leftovers for easy meal prep!

Servings: 4people

Author: Jessica Gray Schipp | https://AllergicToEverything.life

Ingredients

Soup Base (Stock)

1carcassBones from a whole chicken (rotisserie, roasted chicken, or even turkey)

32ouncesChicken broth (you can also substitute water)

2cupsWater

2tablespoonsVeggie Stock Concentrate (optional, I had some leftover so I threw it in)

2clovesGarlic (or 2 frozen cubes of garlic / 2 tsp. garlic powder)

1pinchCilantro (optional, I threw in a few sprigs)

2tablespoonsThyme (I used dried)

2tablespoonsPoultry seasoning

1teaspoonCelery salt

1/4teaspoonFresh ground black pepper

1mediumRed onion, quartered

2mediumCarrots, chopped in half

2stalksCelery, chopped in half

For the Soup

3 to 4cupsThe stock you made

1cupWater (optional, if you feel you need more broth)

3/4cupShredded chicken (I just pulled the leftover off the carcass)

1 mediumYellow Onion, diced (red is just fine too!)

2mediumCarrots, diced

2stalksCelery, diced

1pinchSea salt (to taste if needed)

Instructions

Pull any chicken remaining on the carcass off and throw it in the fridge while you prepare the stock.

Prep your soup veggies (diced onion, carrots, celery) and set them aside until the stock is done. I usually just throw these in the fridge with my chicken.

Prep the stock veggies - note that you do not need to make nice cuts and you can use veggies that are old for this, just make them small enough to fit in the pot. They are just building flavor for the stock, we will toss them and use fresh ones for the soup.

In a large pot combine the chicken bones, chicken broth, water, veggie concentrate (optional), garlic, cilantro (optional), thyme, red onions, carrots, celery, poultry seasoning, celery salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Heat over high until it comes to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over low and cook for at least 60 minutes. The longer the better. I like to leave mine on the stove all day.

Strain the stock through a colander into another pot. You can toss the carcass and stock veggies.

Throw the stock back onto the stove over medium to low heat, add your soup veggies and the shredded chicken to the pot and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until veggies have softened. Give it a taste and add a little more salt and pepper if necessary.

Ladle it into a bowl and eat!

Recipe Notes

Freeze old veggies or cheese rinds to toss into your future stocks.

Try using turkey instead of chicken. Jazz it up with a little rice or a handful of noodles.

Recipe Source: AllergicToEverything.life. All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.

Meet Jess

Jessica Gray Schipp is the author of #AllergicToEverything®, a one-stop cookbook of recipes and lifestyle hacks for food allergy collectors (people with multiple food allergies), anyone living with chronic autoimmune diseases, and the people who love them. Originally an East Coaster from Arlington, VA, Jess is also a teacher, writer, artist, and entrepreneur living in Oakland, CA.

I’ve been YouTubing the wide world of meal prep lately. And per usual, craving Mexican. I wandered over to Trader Joes and stumbled upon the MOST beautiful bell peppers and I settled on making a Chicken Fajita Marinade recipe. It’s simple and cooks fast- so important for weeknight meals. Since I am corn-free I usually do a salad style taco-burrito-fajita which fit right in with my meal prep obsession, voila, my best ever Chicken Fajita Bowls were born. The chicken fajita marinade recipe is absolutely delicious. I am also including how I made my chicken fajita bowl – platters and meal prep with the leftovers down below.

Chop up the chicken and season well with salt. Set aside while you made the marinade. See note on how I used Adobo seasoning and salt for this.

In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture over the chicken and cover. Let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or put it in the fridge for 1-3 hours.

Once marinading time is up, remove the chicken. Optional: save the sauce to reduce it or toss it, most of the flavor is in your chicken so it is totally up to you!

Recipe Notes

To season your chicken before adding the marinade you can use Adobo all-purpose seasoning with or without additional sea salt. I used Adobo all-purpose seasoning + a pinch of sea salt directly on chicken and it was fabulous, perfectly seasoned.

Ancho Chili Powder is made from Poblanos. This is the first time I have used it and was delicious.

I love these Pyrex Bowls for marinading, lunches, and general food storage. These are the sets I have:

I tried the Southwestern Chopped Salad mix from Trader Joe’s for the first time with this recipe. It is a salad in a bag kit so it comes with dressing, cheese, and crunchy toppings, however, I decided to save those to use another time. I was really happy with the crunch of the cabbage and romaine in the blend. It went perfectly with the chicken fajita marinade recipe and the crunch of the fajita veggies. When I went to meal prep I remembered the crunchy toppings and threw them into Joaquin’s lunch bowl (see the picture below). Lucky for him, I am allergic to corn so they were all his. If I remember correctly it was a pepita – corn chip blend. As for the dressing and cheese, I still have it waiting for an easy lazy salad day.

Beanitos are my go-to corn chip replacer. I buy them in 6-packs on Amazon to save money. The pinto bean Beanitos are my favorite flavor; I also like the black and white bean versions so I buy whatever is priced the best.

Unfortunately, I did not get a great shot of the final product, it was just one of those days, never the less, they really were delicious. I served the Fajitas over a cabbage romaine salad mix, with Beanitos and salsa, guacamole, sour cream, plus jalapeno black beans with a little feta on top.

Chicken Fajita Bowl Meal Prep Recipe

I decided to try out using our new meal prep containers to use the leftovers for lunches the next day. They weren’t quite as successful – I realized a little too late that being able to reheat the beans and chicken fajita filling would have been better. So… next time I will store those separate from the salad base. If you are interested in the meal prep containers we bought, you can find them on Amazon here (they are also linked in the recipe notes).

Recipe Source: AllergicToEverything.life. All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.

Meet Jess

Jessica Gray Schipp is the author of #AllergicToEverything®, a one-stop cookbook of recipes and lifestyle hacks for food allergy collectors (people with multiple food allergies), anyone living with chronic autoimmune diseases, and the people who love them. Originally an East Coaster from Arlington, VA, Jess is also a teacher, writer, artist, and entrepreneur living in Oakland, CA.

Sautéed mushrooms and onions for steak. Yum. One of my favorite side dishes. I most often serve them over a simple cast iron steak. They are incredibly easy to make and they bring out the flavors of the steak like nothing else. If you are a vegetarian, I assure you I have eaten these happily without the steak too!!

You don’t have to do much babysitting while they cook, just give them a stir every so often until you see the onions have turned clear. Sautéed mushrooms and onions are not only a great side dish, they also make a pretty plate.

#AllergicToEverything® Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions for Steak

A quick and easy allergen-free, allergy-friendly topping to serve over steak or as a side dish. Sautéed mushrooms and onions for steak are simple and delicious every time.

Course:
Side Dish

Cuisine:
American, Grain-free

Servings: 4people

Author: Jessica Gray Schipp | https://AllergicToEverything.life

Ingredients

1/2lbCrimini mushrooms, sliced

1largeOnion, sliced

2tablespoonsOlive oil

1tablespoonButter (or dairy-free alternative)

1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce

1/2teaspoonGarlic powder

1/2teaspoonSea salt

1/4teaspoonFresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Sauté the mushrooms, onions, olive oil, and butter over medium, until soft and the liquid from the mushrooms has almost evaporated completely. This will take 10-15 minutes.

Add the Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and give it a stir. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and serve!

Recipe Source: AllergicToEverything.life. All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.

Meet Jess

Jessica Gray Schipp is the author of #AllergicToEverything®, a one-stop cookbook of recipes and lifestyle hacks for food allergy collectors (people with multiple food allergies), anyone living with chronic autoimmune diseases, and the people who love them. Originally an East Coaster from Arlington, VA, Jess is also a teacher, writer, artist, and entrepreneur living in Oakland, CA.

Sweet potato fries – who knew! Perhaps I am way behind the times. In fact, I know I am. I do the same thing with music. Way after it is popular, I find it and think it is amazing, I tell everyone I know and they respond, with, “yeah, Jess, obviously.” Regardless, I get excited.

I fell in love with Nirvana in 2003 during my first semester of college, then Fiona Apple a year or so later. Come to find out they were all the rage in the 90s, but I was beyond in love with Hanson at the time so I assume that is why I missed the boat. I remember being in awe flipping through my little sister’s CD collection, realizing she was way ahead of me. She had owned all the music I was just finding out about for years.

Back to sweet potatoes. I’ve had some fears about them. I wasn’t sure what to do with them, how to cook them, what to eat them with. They seemed too sweet. I’m a savory palleted girl when it comes to non-desserts. My mom was also very into them, which naturally made me questions them. As time goes on I realize more and more how smart she is. And how (even against my own incredibly strong will) she managed to instill an appreciation for sprouted seeds, organic (thin-skinned) produce, grass-fed meats, lentils, whole grains, etc. As a kid, I thought all of that was just yuk. I wondered why my mother couldn’t just get the Gushers like the other parents. I just wanted to be like everyone one else. But I wasn’t, and she wasn’t, and when it comes down to it, it makes sense that I instinctively question her beliefs. I was raised to wonder, to question authority. And now, at 33, I love her more for it.

So I questioned sweet potato fries, and sweet potatoes in general. I know they have been all the rage for years now. Working from home has been a big lifestyle change and I’ve been feeling heavy from the lack of movement. I’ve been trying to shift up my diet. Making a point to get out for walks and do my yoga. When I was teaching I was on my feet all day, burning calories without thinking about it. Since August, I have been sitting at my computer day after day working on the Kickstarter campaign for my cookbook, #AllergicToEverything. It occurred to me that playing with my food choices might help with the heaviness. Strangely enough, Kickstarting a cookbook takes up so much time that I found myself relying more on easy foods, rather than cooking. When I realized this I was pretty taken back. But now that I am conscious of this, I get to make choices.

I chose to try sweet potatoes, in the form of fries. I bought just enough to try them once and on my next trip to the grocery store I found myself buying more. It seems my body-pallette-mind liked them.

As you will see in the pictures (apologies in advance, from one human to another), I did burn them, but after tossing the too-burnt-to-consume ones, Joaquin and I ate a satisfying and refreshing dinner that did not leave either of us feeling heavy. And most importantly, it was delish. And as always, allergen-free.

#AllergicToEverything® Baked Sweet Potato Fries

A treat on their own, or a lush addition to a bunless burger. Able to be eaten on just about any diet. Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese, and complex carbohydrates, which work together to produce anti-inflammatory magic. For food allergy collectors like myself, if sweet potatoes help heal inflammation and they taste great, we should eat them!

Course:
Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine:
American, Comfort Food

Servings: 4people

Author: Jessica Gray Schipp | https://AllergicToEverything.life

Ingredients

3-4mediumSweet potatoes, sliced about 1/2" thick

2tablespoons Olive oil (or avocado oil)

1.5teaspoonsGarlic powder

1teaspoonThyme (dried)

1/4teaspoonFresh ground black pepper

Sea salt, just enough to season lightly (see my favorite kind in the notes)

Kitchen Tools

Veggie peeler

Bowl for tossing

Baking sheets (1 or 2 depending on amount)

Tinfoil to cover the baking sheets (and eliminate extra dishwashing!)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Locate someone who likes to peel (and chop) sweet potatoes.

Have them rinse the sweet potatoes in the sink, then with a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the sweet potatoes. Next, slice them into 1/2" thick pieces, like french fries. (See notes on the skin and sizing below).

In a mixing bowl, combine the fries, oil, garlic, thyme, pepper, and a small pinch of sea salt. Toss well, making sure all the sweet potatoes get oiled up.

Line your baking sheet(s) with Tinfoil, so you don't have to do extra dishes, then spread the fries out in a single layer. Use another baking sheet if they do not all fit on one tray.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. It's a good idea to check them at 25 minutes, so they don't burn like mine did!

Remove the sweet potato fries when they are golden and crisp, finish with another small pinch of sea salt.

Serve with or without your favorite dipping sauce. I like a ketchup-dijon combo but they are also incredible on their own!

Recipe Notes

What if I like thicker steak-fries or potato wedges? I wrote the recipe for the style of fries I love, the little crispy guys. Feel free to make them thicker, you may need to add a little cooking time, just keep an eye on them because when they burn, they burn fast!

Do I really have to remove the skin? If you know the answer, please comment below! My guess is that they would be just as delicious with the skin on (like most other potatoes) and if I hadn't had Joaquin offer to peel them for us, I personally wouldn't have taken the time to remove the skins. Lucky for me, he was willing to put in the extra work because they turned out great. Next time, I'm gonna go skin-on, and when I do I'll let you know how it goes!

Sea Salt as a kitchen staple:

Korean Sea Salt- my everyday seasoning sea salt. If you are in the Oakland area, we buy ours (in a massive 6lb bag) at Koreana Plaza. If not, try your local Asian Market, if you don't have one, you can easily have this Korean Sea Salt delivered to you! It is both Kosher and very coarse (which makes it great for brining and fermenting). Storage Tip: At our house, we keep ours in a granite mortar and pestle bowl of it out for everyday cooking uses. That way we can grind it up as fine as we'd like depending on the recipe!

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes- my favorite finishing sea salt. While we are talking about salt, I thought I would just mention this one because I love it. It's an awesome gift for foodies, I bought my mom a box last year for Mother's Day. I use it sparingly because it is a very salty salt. When a recipe calls for salt, I stick to my Korean Sea Salt and use this as a finishing touch to boost the flavor of a dish just before serving.

Meet Jess

Jessica Gray Schipp is the author of #AllergicToEverything®, a one-stop cookbook of recipes and lifestyle hacks for food allergy collectors (people with multiple food allergies), anyone living with chronic autoimmune diseases, and the people who love them. Originally an East Coaster from Arlington, VA, Jess is also a teacher, writer, artist, and entrepreneur living in Oakland, CA.

Melt a dash of butter and a splash of canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

Ladle in 1/2 to 1/3 of the mix into the pan. Top with turkey and cheddar. Cook for 3-5 minutes covered with a lid. We used a small saucepan lid to cradle in the baking mix in order to help form the arepas (see the picture below).

Flip the arepa and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Continue cooking until both sides are crispy and golden brown.

Blot with a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Delish when served with fruit and bacon.

Recipe Notes

Use any allergen-free boxed pancake mix (this is the one I used by Trader Joe’s) or whip up the base of the pancake/arepa from scratch.

I use ground flaxseed as my egg replacer. To replace one egg, all you do is combine one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with two tablespoons of warm water. My mix required three eggs so I used 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and 6 tablespoons of warm water. This is the flax I use: Spectrum Essentials Organic Ground Flaxseed. I prefer the nutritional properties and texture of the flax but you can also use egg replacers like Ener G Egg Replacer.

Visual Instructions:

Trader Joe’s gluten-free buttermilk pancake & waffle mix

Using a lid to crisp & shape the Arepas

Pat off the excess oil

Set the Arepas on paper towels as you cook off each batch

Recipe Source: AllergicToEverything.life. All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.

Meet Jess

Jessica Gray Schipp is the author of #AllergicToEverything®, a one-stop cookbook of recipes and lifestyle hacks for food allergy collectors (people with multiple food allergies), anyone living with chronic autoimmune diseases, and the people who love them. Originally an East Coaster from Arlington, VA, Jess is also a teacher, writer, artist, and entrepreneur living in Oakland, CA.

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Jessica Gray Schipp is the author of #AllergicToEverything®, a one-stop cookbook of recipes and lifestyle hacks for food allergy collectors (people with multiple food allergies), anyone living with chronic autoimmune diseases, and the people who love them. Originally an East Coaster from Arlington, VA, Jess is also a teacher, writer, artist, and entrepreneur living in Oakland, CA.

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